Enduring the Day
by Merida's Hair
Summary: While Melena is at home with a four year old Elphaba, she is blissfully unaware that Elphaba can probably understand everything she is saying. Bookverse, pointless oneshots galore!


**A/N: Have had this idea in my mind for a while, so I decided to finally try to write it.**

**Enjoy!**

**P.S Who saw Glee last night? It was enjoyable, but very angsty. Kristin Chenoweth rocked, and did anyone else see the irony in her singing a song from "The Wiz"? And during that whole episode I really wanted to give Kurt a hug.....**

If there was one thing Melena never understood about her daughter, and there were many things she didn't understand, it was that she still couldn't talk. Even at four years old. Even her second freak of a daughter, Nessarose had started saying little things such as "Mama" and "Papa" and "Pray." Instead the little green girl preferred muttering incoherent things underneath her breath, shouting "Horrors! Horrors!" occasionally, and giving people the most intense scrutinizing stare, that they would flinch and look away. Most of the time, Elphaba just ignored everyone around her. Staying in her own little world where no one could bother her with such _silly_ things as socializing.

This of course continued to aggravate Melena. It wasn't as if she was worried about the little demon; she just wished that at least some part of Elphaba had turned out normal. But, no, the girl remained something otherworldly. Eventually Melena began to play little games with this. She would say the most strangest, and even partly cruel things to Elphaba in order to instill some sort of reaction. Or just to get things off of her chest. A living diary, that's what Elphaba was turning into.

Because, _of course_, if Elphaba couldn't talk, then there was absolutely no possible way that she could understand what Melena was saying.

But it was either this, or die from boredom from being truly alone all day.

So it was on this day, when Elphaba was back to ignoring, that Melena decided to play her game. Nessarose was, thank the Unnamed God, in blissful armless sleep. Elphaba was sitting on the floor beside her, "reading" a book. Her thin, green face was creepily focused on the object in front of her. Melena wondered how the poor book could stand being given such a severe glare. Her long straight black hair, which Melena envied for some reason, was cut short to her ears and flopped in front of her face.

"You were sent as a curse to me, you know." Melena said, staring nonchalantly at the pinlobble leaf in her hand. "You and your sister both, for the sins that I committed. First that merchant, than Turtle Heart." She looked at Elphaba; she was still looking at her book, occasionally flipping the page and muttering something at the words.

"It was that medicine that Nanny gave me that made Nessie armless you know." She said this in a mocking sort of way, drawling out each word while looking at the drug in her hands again.

"So, in a way it was your doing that Nessarose came out the way she did. Then again, I brought you into this world, didn't I? I guess we both share the blame." Melena glanced at Elphaba again, and for a split second she could of sworn that she felt the little lizard's dark brown eyes on her.

Melena sighed and placed the leaf down, for once not really in the mood for it. She moved down from the chair she was sitting on, and inched closer on the floor to where Elphaba was sitting.

"I know you can't read that Elphie, so why won't you put the book down and try talking to me?"

No response.

Why should she expect any different?

"How about just looking at me?"

Still not a glance.

She rolled her eyes and contemplated just taking the book away. Instead of risking Elphaba shouting "Horrors!" and by doing this waking the younger of the Thropp's, she settled for talking to her more.

"Do you suppose you more like a lizard or a frog? I think a lizard. What do you think?"

Elphaba turned the page.

Melena didn't think she could stand this much longer. She was someone who could defiantly not stay bored for long periods of time, less she go insane.

"Elphie, for goodness sakes what are you reading?" She said and glanced at the title.

_Myths and Legends of Oz_

"Ahh, reading about the old tales of Fairy Queens and Kumbric Witches are we?" Melena asked amusedly. Elphaba furrowed her brow, and turned another page.

"You know, Nanny once said that Nessarose was a reincarnation of Lurline, and you of Kumbricia." Nanny of course, only had said of Nessarose, not Elphaba, but the little demon didn't know that.

Melena glanced at Elphaba carefully, and was thoroughly surprised to find that her head was up; glancing at her with a creepy grin on her face.

And then, so quickly Melena wasn't even certain it happened at all, Elphaba was back to the book.

Melena narrowed her eyes, trying to cover up her happiness, well maybe not happiness at her daughter not ignoring her for once.

"That wasn't a compliment, you know. Kumbricia was the epitome of all that it evil." It then occurred to Melena, that perhaps Elphaba was more fascinated by evil, than good. Or perhaps she was also an epitome of all that is evil.

"I suppose you would take that as a compliment, being the demon that you are." The mother said, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.

Another page turned.

Another exasperated sigh.

"That's it! I'm done with you and you pretending like the world doesn't even exist!" Melena nearly shrieked.

Finally, Elphaba truly fixed her steely gaze on her mother. Her haunting eyes narrowed, and her lip pursed. Melena, not for the first time, found herself frightened by a toddler.

Perhaps Elphaba knew the world existed; that she wasn't alone at all. Maybe she realized even as a child, that she was going to either be ignored or scorned at by everyone around her. Her family included.

Meanwhile Elphaba was still glaring at Melena; knowingly, creepily.

Could she understand what she was saying?

Did she understand reality?

Melena really couldn't take this glaring much longer.

"What?" She hissed at the girl, not even bothering to conceal her annoyance. _What had she truly brought into this world?_

Her lips formed the smallest smile imaginable.

"Horrors."

**Reviews are love!**

**:D**


End file.
